I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. -Isaiah 42:16-

The posts on this blog are a progressive and meticulous work that are intended to be read systematically. Please begin with the Topic “The Great and Marvelous Work” and read down through the Topics in order.

Men like Sherem will be Snuffed Out

In a prior post we wrote, “It is not requisite by any standard that The Book of Mormon testify of itselfor of its reality. Its purpose is as a prophecy of The Great and Marvelous Work.” The writers of that magnificent book of prophecy saw our day in staggering detail and they provided us with graphic illustrations regarding the Isaiah Story. The same is true of all scripture which speaks to us through types and shadows and metaphor if we are listening and looking for truth. The Word of God is written to prepare us for what is coming by trumpeting loudly in our ears that God will return and set His hand again the second time to finish his work; the holy prophets tell us everything that will come to pass. We should heed their warnings because all men are not of God despite their sheepskin appearance.

The Book of Mormon provides us with types of the many Anti-Christs that will arise; false prophets crying lo here and lo there— The post on the coming forth of “The Book of the Lamb of God” should make it abundantly clear that UNTIL John the Beloved comes on the scene to introduce the Servant, who will establish “The Church of the Lamb of God,” we must wait upon Heaven’s perfect timing and believe the scriptures which prophesy of these coming events (See 1Nephi chapters 13 & 14). The prophet/historian Mormon made sure we had these examples in the book he compiled as a witness and a warning to the “O Jerusalem” Mormons who would receive his book. The prophecies tell us that men of an evil nature will be in our midst voicing their lies as they mislead others into following them. If these were not important warnings to be aware of at the end of days, then the prophets and Jesus himself would not have warned us of these matters.

Mormonism has produced a host of false prophets, each in turn claiming a restoration back to Joseph Smith and his unique and distinctive doctrines to include the Masonic temple ordinances, dead works for the dead, and polygamy among other things… They can’t help but follow in the footsteps of the founder of their faith.

4 And it came to pass that I saw among the nations of the Gentiles the formation of a great church. 5 And the angel said unto me: Behold the formation of a church which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity. 6 And it came to pass that I beheld this great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it. 7 And I also saw gold, and silver, and silks, and scarlets, and fine-twined linen, and all manner of precious clothing; and I saw many harlots. 8 And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the gold, and the silver, and the silks, and the scarlets, and the fine-twined linen, and the precious clothing, and the harlots, are the desires of this great and abominable church. 9 And also for the praise of the world do they destroy the saints of God, and bring them down into captivity. (1Nep 13:4-9)

Whether we speak of James Strang, the king of Beaver Island, or Brigham Young who was ordained king and led the Mormons to Utah and founded the modern system of temple worship in the church, it’s always the same story. Each imitator hearkens back to Smith without first bothering to explore what the scriptures have to say about Smith and his church and kingdom (See the post on Isaiah chapter 44). These imitators seem unaware thatSmithwas given only one gift to translate the Book of Mormon and he was directed by God to pretend to no other gifts. We’ve written about this at length in the Strong Delusion posts.

Brigham Young said over and over he was an apostle to Joseph Smith (and not an apostle of Jesus Christ), and he expanded upon Smith’s declarations about polygamy claiming that only those who practiced plural marriage could reach the highest degree of the Mormon heaven. Young is the father of modern temple worship in the church by codifying the temple ceremonies in 1877, albeit his more embarrassing and flamboyant eccentricities have been eliminated from both doctrine and temple ordinances. In the wake of self-proclaimed Mormon prophet, Wilford Woodruff’s Manifesto on polygamy in 1890, then so-called prophet Joseph F. Smith’s Second Manifesto on polygamy in 1904, and finally the alleged apostle, Reed Smoot’s hearings from 1903-1906 before the United States Senate, the modern Mormon Fundamentalist polygamy movement took root. From that unfruitful tree we’ve seen a host of other so-called prophets arise in the image of Joseph Smith creating cult religions in the likeness of Smith’s original cult. Warren Jeff’s is only the latest Fundamentalist celebrity in a long line of Joseph Smith lookalikes.

Many men have claimed revelation and to speak for God the same way as Smith or Young and all the rest of the pretend prophets. Some of these copycat pretenders produced their own scripture and some claim visitations of Jesus Christ authorizing them to establish a restoration of their own, reverting back to Joseph Smith’s original teachings. By doing so, these men display their ignorance of the scriptures for all the world to see and become a laughingstock among those who have diligently searched the word of God!The past quarter century has witnessed a plethora of these claimants to Smith’s throne, come on the scene and publish their books to gain notoriety and gather a following. They find fault with the mother church (as though clean water could come from a filthy well), and preach Joseph Smith from the rafters. We see these things happening even today, and the people love to have it so! These Anti-Christs will all be SNUFFED out.

The true and holy prophet Jacob wrote masterfully about the events of the Isaiah Story in chapters 4-7 of his prophetic book, and he used a critically important type of a man named Sherem who will be in our midst. Alma did the same for us in his essay on Korihor in Alma chapter 30. Both Sherem and Korihor are types for a man who will be among the Mormon people leading many astray to follow after his teachings. This man will have “a perfect knowledge of the language of the people” and he will, “…use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil.”He will claim to believe the scriptures and yet deny the scriptures which teach that God’s Servant is coming upon the earth, thus qualifying himself as an Anti-Christ.

In the end, these false prophets will be SNUFFED out by God! Those who contend against God’s true servants in the manner that Sherem and Korihor contended against Jacob and Alma, will reap the whirlwind as their due reward. The metaphor we’ve employed here of being “SNUFFED” out is interesting to consider. Let’s investigate the prophetic use of the words “snuffed” or “snuffeth” as we observe the writings of other prophets that say:

12 ¶But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.

13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord.

14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen. (Mal 1:12-14)

22 For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God.

23 How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways;

24 A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her. (Jer 2:22-24)

6 And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.

7 ¶O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee. (Jer 14:6-7)

The prophets wrote in context of the Isaiah Story and they chose their words carefullyas inspired by the Holy Spirit. We must never trifle with the prophetic words of holy prophets. Their precise portrayals are written for a reason— because of their intimate knowledge of the last days. We should heed their warnings about the false prophets in our midst and pay careful attention to the words they employed!These things are written judiciously for those with eyes to see.

Now let’s direct our focus to Jacob’s anthology of the Isaiah Story and this Anti-Christ as a type for our day.

1 And now it came to pass after some years had passed away, there came a man among the people of Nephi, whose name was Sherem. 2 And it came to pass that he began to preach among the people, and to declare unto them that there should be no Christ. And he preached many things which were flattering unto the people; and this he did that he might overthrow the doctrine of Christ. 3 And he labored diligently that he might lead away the hearts of the people, insomuch that he did lead away many hearts; and he knowing that I, Jacob, had faith in Christ who should come, he sought much opportunity that he might come unto me. 4 And he was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil. 5 And he had hope to shake me from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken. 6 And it came to pass that he came unto me, and on this wise did he speak unto me, saying: Brother Jacob, I have sought much opportunity that I might speak unto you; for I have heard and also know that thou goest about much, preaching that which ye call the gospel, or the doctrine of Christ. 7 And ye have led away much of this people that they pervert the right way of God, and keep not the law of Moses which is the right way; and convert the law of Moses into the worship of a being which ye say shall come many hundred years hence. And now behold, I, Sherem, declare unto you that this is blasphemy; for no man knoweth of such things; for he cannot tell of things to come. And after this manner did Sherem contend against me. 8 But behold, the Lord God poured in his Spirit into my soul, insomuch that I did confound him in all his words. 9 And I said unto him: Deniest thou the Christ who shall come? And he said: If there should be a Christ, I would not deny him; but I know that there is no Christ, neither has been, nor ever will be. 10 And I said unto him: Believest thou the scriptures? And he said, Yea. 11 And I said unto him: Then ye do not understand them; for they truly testify of Christ. Behold, I say unto you that none of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ. 12 And this is not all—it has been made manifest unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be no atonement made all mankind must be lost. 13 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Show me a sign by this power of the Holy Ghost, in the which ye know so much. 14 And I said unto him: What am I that I should tempt God to show unto thee a sign in the thing which thou knowest to be true? Yet thou wilt deny it, because thou art of the devil. Nevertheless, not my will be done; but if God shall smite thee, let that be a sign unto thee that he has power, both in heaven and in earth; and also, that Christ shall come. And thy will, O Lord, be done, and not mine. 15 And it came to pass that when I, Jacob, had spoken these words, the power of the Lord came upon him, insomuch that he fell to the earth. And it came to pass that he was nourished for the space of many days. 16 And it came to pass that he said unto the people: Gather together on the morrow, for I shall die; wherefore, I desire to speak unto the people before I shall die. 17 And it came to pass that on the morrow the multitude were gathered together; and he spake plainly unto them and denied the things which he had taught them, and confessed the Christ, and the power of the Holy Ghost, and the ministering of angels. 18 And he spake plainly unto them, that he had been deceived by the power of the devil. And he spake of hell, and of eternity, and of eternal punishment. 19 And he said: I fear lest I have committed the unpardonable sin, for I have lied unto God; for I denied the Christ, and said that I believed the scriptures; and they truly testify of him. And because I have thus lied unto God I greatly fear lest my case shall be awful; but I confess unto God. 20 And it came to pass that when he had said these words he could say no more, and he gave up the ghost. 21 And when the multitude had witnessed that he spake these things as he was about to give up the ghost, they were astonished exceedingly; insomuch that the power of God came down upon them, and they were overcome that they fell to the earth. 22 Now, this thing was pleasing unto me, Jacob, for I had requested it of my Father who was in heaven; for he had heard my cry and answered my prayer. 23 And it came to pass that peace and the love of God was restored again among the people; and they searched the scriptures, and hearkened no more to the words of this wicked man. (Jacob 7:1-23)

The holy prophets prophesied of these things for our benefit and understanding and we will see events such as these transpire again in our day. Do not be deceived by the wolves in sheep’s clothing who will be SNUFFED out when their time comes!

I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;

I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.

Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.

Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb. (Isa 48:3-8)